Burna Boy, Tems, Ayra Starr, Rema, Black Sherif, Shallipopi, Tyla, Uncle Waffles secure nominations at the “BET Awards” 2025.

Burna Boy, Tems, Ayra Starr, Rema, Black Sherif, Shallipopi, Tyla, Uncle Waffles secure nominations at the “BET Awards” 2025.

Entertainment

May 14, 2025

Today, BET officially unveiled the highly anticipated nominees for the “BET Awards” 2025, spotlighting a diverse slate of artists from around the globe. Leading the charge from Africa are powerhouse talents Burna Boy, Tems, Rema, Tyla, Ayra Starr, Black Sherif, Shallipopi, Shaboozey, Odeal, Maglera Doe BoyUncle Waffles, Dlala Thukzin, Abigail Chams, TxC, all recognized for their exceptional contributions to music and culture over the past year.

After an impressive run with chart-topping hits and international acclaim, Nigerian sensation Ayra Starr emerges as one of the top African nominees, scoring three nods in ‘Best Female R&B/Pop Artist’, ‘Best New Artist’, and ‘Best International Act’.

Global star Tems continues to blaze trails, securing two nominations in the ‘BET Her’ category for her soulful and empowering songs “Burning” and “Hold On”, both lifted from her widely celebrated debut studio album “Born In The Wild”. These nods further establish her as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary music today.

African artists dominate the ‘Best New International Act’ category. Breakout stars Shallipopi, Odeal, Maglera Doe Boy, Abigail Chams, and Dlala Thukzin all earn well-deserved recognition.

Beyond music, the awards also honor achievements in film, television, and sports. Multi-talented actress and vocalist, Cynthia Erivo picks up two nominations—‘Best Actress’, and ‘BET Her’ for her duet “Defying Gravity” with pop superstar Ariana Grande.

Kendrick Lamar leads the nominations with ten, DoechiiDrakeFuture and GloRilla tying with six nominations, Metro Boomin earning five nominations, and SZA and The Weeknd tying with four nominations each. 

This year’s “BET Awards” 2025 nominees reflect multifaceted creative expression and Black excellence across music, television, film, and sports. Nominations were selected by the BET Voting Academy, which is comprised of an esteemed group of entertainment professionals and influencers in the fields of music, media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, and creative arts.

Kendrick Lamar holds the top spot with ten “BET Awards” 2025 nominations. Lamar’s nominations include ‘Album of the Year’ for GNX, ‘Video of the Year’ for “Not Like Us,” three ‘Viewer’s Choice Award’ nods for “Not Like Us,” “Luther,” featuring SZA, and “Like That” with Future & Metro Boomin, three ‘Best Collaboration’ nods for “Like That,” “30 for 30,” and “Luther,” featuring SZA, ‘Video Director of the Year’ with Dave Free, and ‘Best Male Hip Hop Artist.’ 

Doechii’s six nominations include ‘Album of the Year’ for Alligator Bites Never Heal, ‘Video of the Year’ and ‘Viewer’s Choice Award’ for “Denial is a River,” ‘BET Her’ for “Bloom,” ‘Best Collaboration’ for “Alter Ego” featuring JT, and ‘Best Female Hip Hop Artist.’ 

Drake’s six nominations include ‘Album of the Year’ for $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, ‘Video of the Year’ for “Family Matters,” ‘Viewer’s Choice Award’ for “Nokia,” ‘Best Group’ with “Drake & PartyNextDoor,” ‘Best Male R&B/Pop Artist’ and ‘Best Male Hip Hop Artist.’

Future’s six nominations include ‘Album of the Year’ for We Don’t Trust You with Metro Boomin, ‘Video of the Year’ for “Type Shit” with Metro Boomin, Travis Scott & Playboi Carti, ‘Best Collaboration’ and ‘Viewer’s Choice Award’ for “Like That” with Metro Boomin featuring Kendrick Lamar, ‘Best Group’ with “Future & Metro Boomin,” and Best Male Hip Hop Artist. 

GloRilla six nominations include ‘Album of the Year’ for Glorious, ‘Viewer’s Choice Award’ for “TGIF”, ‘Best Collaboration’ for “Sticky” with Tyler, The Creator, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne, the ‘Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award’ for “Rain Down On Me,” ‘Best Female Hip Hop Artist’, and ‘BET Her’ for “In My Bag” with FLO.

SZA and The Weeknd tie with four nominations each, while Arya Starr, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Maverick City Music, Playboi Carti, Teddy Swims, and Tyler, The Creator each earn three nominations. 

FULL NOMINATION LIST BELOW:

Album of the Year

$OME $EXY $ONGS 4 U                    DRAKE & PARTYNEXTDOOR  

11:11 DELUXE                                     CHRIS BROWN

ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL          DOECHII

COWBOY CARTER                             BEYONCÉ

GLORIOUS                                          GLORILLA

GNX                                                    KENDRICK LAMAR

HURRY UP TOMORROW                    THE WEEKND

WE DON’T TRUST YOU                        FUTURE & METRO BOOMIN

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist

AYRA STARR

ARI LENNOX

COCO JONES

KEHLANI

MUNI LONG

SUMMER WALKER

SZA

VICTORIA MONÉT

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist

BRUNO MARS

CHRIS BROWN

DRAKE

FRIDAYY

LEON THOMAS

TEDDY SWIMS

THE WEEKND

USHER

Best Group

41

COMMON & PETE ROCK

DRAKE & PARTYNEXTDOOR

FLO

FUTURE & METRO BOOMIN

JACQUEES & DEJ LOAF

LARRY JUNE, 2 CHAINZ, THE ALCHEMIST

MAVERICK CITY MUSIC

Best Collaboration

30 FOR 30                              SZA FEAT. KENDRICK LAMAR

ALTER EGO                            DOECHII FEAT. JT

ARE YOU EVEN REAL            TEDDY SWIMS FEAT. GIVĒON

BECKHAM                              DEE BILLZ FEAT. KYLE RICHH, KAI SWERVO, KJ SWERVO

BLESS                                      LIL WAYNE, WHEEZY & YOUNG THUG

LIKE THAT                                FUTURE & METRO BOOMIN & KENDRICK LAMAR

LUTHER                                    KENDRICK LAMAR & SZA

STICKY                                     TYLER, THE CREATOR FEAT. GLORILLA, SEXYY RED &  LIL WAYNE

TIMELESS                                 THE WEEKND FEAT. PLAYBOI CARTI

Best Female Hip Hop Artist

CARDI B

DOECHII

DOJA CAT

GLORILLA

LATTO

MEGAN THEE STALLION

NICKI MINAJ

RAPSODY

SEXYY RED

Best Male Hip Hop Artist

BURNA BOY

BIGXTHAPLUG

BOSSMAN DLOW

DRAKE

FUTURE

KENDRICK LAMAR

KEY GLOCK

LIL WAYNE

TYLER, THE CREATOR

Video of the Year  

3AM IN TOKEYO                KEY GLOCK

A BAR SONG (TIPSY)         SHABOOZEY

AFTER HOURS                     KEHLANI

DENIAL IS A RIVER              DOECHII

FAMILY MATTERS                DRAKE

NOT LIKE US                        KENDRICK LAMAR

TIMELESS                             THE WEEKND FEAT. PLAYBOI CARTI

TYPE SHIT                             FUTURE, METRO BOOMIN, TRAVIS SCOTT & PLAYBOI CARTI

Video Director of the Year

ANDERSON .PAAK

B PACE PRODUCTIONS & JACQUEES

BENNY BOOM

CACTUS JACK

COLE BENNETT

DAVE FREE & KENDRICK LAMAR

DAVE MEYERS

FOGGIERAW

TYLER, THE CREATOR

Best New Artist

41

AYRA STARR

BIGXTHAPLUG

BOSSMAN DLOW

DEE BILLZ

LEON THOMAS

OCTOBER LONDON

SHABOOZEY

TEDDY SWIMS

Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award

A GOD (THERE IS)                 COMMON & PETE ROCK FEAT. JENNIFER HUDSON

AMEN                                     PASTOR MIKE JR.

BETTER DAYS                          FRIDAYY

CHURCH DOORS                  YOLANDA ADAMS FEAT. SIR THE BAPTIST & DONALD 

LAWRENCE (TERRY HUNTER REMIX)

CONSTANT                            MAVERICK CITY MUSIC, JORDIN SPARKS, CHANDLER MOORE & ANTHONY GARGIULA

DESERVE TO WIN                   TAMELA MANN

FAITH                                       RAPSODY

RAIN DOWN ON ME             GLORILLA FEAT. KIRK FRANKLIN, MAVERICK CITY MUSIC

Viewer’s Choice Award

RESIDUALS                            CHRIS BROWN

DENIAL IS A RIVER                DOECHII  

NOKIA                                   DRAKE

LIKE THAT                               FUTURE & METRO BOOMIN FEAT. KENDRICK LAMAR

TGIF                                        GLORILLA

NOT LIKE US                           KENDRICK LAMAR

LUTHER                                    KENDRICK LAMAR & SZA

BROKEY                                  LATTO             

Best International Act

ANY GABRIELLY (BRAZIL)

AYRA STARR (NIGERIA)

BASHY (UNITED KINGDOM)

BLACK SHERIF (GHANA)

EZRA COLLECTIVE (UNITED KINGDOM)

JOÉ DWÈT FILÉ (FRANCE)

MC LUANNA (BRAZIL)

REMA (NIGERIA)

SDM (FRANCE)

TYLA (SOUTH AFRICA)

UNCLE WAFFLES (SWAZILAND)

Best New International Act

ABIGAIL CHAMS (TANZANIA)

AJULIACOSTA (BRAZIL)

AMABBI (BRAZIL)

DLALA THUKZIN (SOUTH AFRICA)

DR YARO (FRANCE)

KWN (UNITED KINGDOM)

MAGLERA DOE BOY (SOUTH AFRICA)

MERVEILLE (FRANCE)

ODEAL (UNITED KINGDOM)

SHALLIPOPI (NIGERIA)

TxC (SOUTH AFRICA)

BET Her

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE                           MARY J. BLIGE

BLACKBIIRD                                       BEYONCÉ FEAT. TANNER ADELL, BRITTNEY

SPENCER, TIERA KENNEDY & REYNA ROBERTS

BLOOM                                              DOECHII

BURNING                                            TEMS

DEFYING GRAVITY                             CYNTHIA ERIVO FEAT. ARIANA GRANDE

HEART OF A WOMAN                        SUMMER WALKER

HOLD ON                                           TEMS

IN MY BAG                                         FLO & GLORILLA

Best Movie

BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE

BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F

LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH

MUFASA: THE LION KING

ONE OF THEM DAYS

REBEL RIDGE

THE PIANO LESSON

THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT

Best Actor

AARON PIERRE

ALDIS HODGE

ANTHONY MACKIE

COLMAN DOMINGO

DENZEL WASHINGTON

JAMIE FOXX

JOEY BADA$$

KEVIN HART

STERLING K. BROWN

WILL SMITH

Best Actress

ANDRA DAY

ANGELA BASSETT

COCO JONES

CYNTHIA ERIVO

KEKE PALMER

KERRY WASHINGTON

QUINTA BRUNSON

VIOLA DAVIS

ZENDAYA

YoungStars Award  

AKIRA AKBAR

BLUE IVY CARTER

GRACEYN “GRACIE” HOLLINGSWORTH

HEIRESS HARRIS

MELODY HURD

THADDEUS J. MIXSON

TYRIK JOHNSON

VANVAN

Sportswoman of the Year Award

A’JA WILSON

ANGEL REESE

CLARESSA SHIELDS

COCO GAUFF

DAWN STALEY

FLAU’JAE JOHNSON

JUJU WATKINS

SHA’CARRI RICHARDSON

SIMONE BILES

Sportsman of the Year Award

AARON JUDGE

ANTHONY EDWARDS

DEION SANDERS

JALEN HURTS

JAYSON TATUM

LEBRON JAMES

SAQUON BARKLEY

STEPHEN CURRY

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